Small Tenor Mouthpiece Advice

[Fgal409]

Hello to you all, i wanted to share some of my recent troubles with mouthpieces, and wanted to ask for some advise since there are a lot of experienced fellow trombonist players here:
I ve been playing for 7 years by now, and i did the classic mouthpiece progression, 12C, 7C, 6 1/2al, 5GS - 4C
A few months ago i went back to my old 12C since i was required to play 2nd chair in my local jazz big band with my .500, the overall results are good, i was able to increase my range to high C without squeaking, my playing above 3rd partial improved and also my endurance got better. In adition to that i must say that i love that super bright sound of the 12C.
But, the cons are that articulations are cut with a knife, notes above D in 4th position sometimes lack focus, and once in a while i crack some notes, playing it one partial higher.
In what respects to the other mps,
The 7C for reasons i dont understand, it just dosen't work, i think maybe has to do with the bite or the inner rim but i dont feel comfortable.
The 6 1/2 AL for me feels way too dark, i dont like the sound it makes, when i first picked up it worked for some time for i don't like the sound and the rim shape also feels uncomfortable.
The 5GS same problem, but lower notes are notably better and the sound still feels dark. Aside that, rim shape feels slightly better than the previous one.
The 4C is interesting: It sounds brighter than the 6 1/2 AL and the 5GS, while also mantaining a solid low register. Prhasing with this mp feels better than the 12C. But the major issue is that partials feel a mile apart from each other, even the higher ones, passing from High F in 5th Partial, to High Bb in 7th feels like jumping an ocean. Also notes above 4th partial many times lack focus and my endurance suffers considerably.
By now i play the 12C which is the most consistent but i really want to improve my articulations to feel smoother and reduce the risk of cracked notes especially in the low range.
Any advice is welcomed, thank you for reading.

[Kingfan]

I suggest a Skype evaluation from Doug Elliott. That will greatly focus your search.

[Bach5G]

Or an 11C?

[Burgerbob]

Or an 11C?

This would be my next try as well

[Bach5G]

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[Cmillar]

Advice from someone (and, I'm sure, speaking for many others) who went through something similar... (while working 30+ years professionally and doing whatever it took to 'make it work' all the time because there was no choice but 'to make it work')

Get real advice from Doug Elliott. (you can pay me later!)

When the pandemic hit, I took the slowdown as some beneficial time in order to 'find the elusive perfect mouthpiece' and went through a couple of shoebox's worth until it hit me: "Get in touch with Doug, you idiot."

While doing some serious home recording projects during the pandemic, I grew more and more frustrated at how inconsistent every mouthpiece was, just as I had been doing for the past 30 years. All the same problems you talk about.

To make a long story short, Doug 'sized me up' and I'm now on a much bigger rim than I thought I'd ever be using on my small horn, or big horn. But, the beauty of his system is that I can now use the same rim on a large or small bore horn.

We all have different facial/dental structures with their built-in peculiarities. What might work for some other pro you admire might or might not work for your particular face. Or, you may be doing something counter-productive in your brass playing thinking due to bad habits, or even by following some other teacher's advice or trombone-methodology that really isn't working for you.

Thank to Elliott/Reinhardt lessons, I now have a dependable high range I could only dream of just a couple of years ago, and I'm playing the whole range of the horn with more confidence than ever now that the Elliott/Reinhardt method/lessons are really kicking in.

Just saying. (I'm just echoing the sentiments of many, many trombone and trumpet players who have benefited from working with Doug.)

Save yourself thousands of dollars in mouthpiece experiments, buying and selling, etc. etc. and just get in touch with Doug or Wikitone or someone they'd recommend.

Don't spend your time wondering why things aren't working correctly. Find out why. Talk to some people who really know what's going on.

Good luck in your travels!

[Posaunus]

I completely endorse the suggestion of contacting Doug Elliott for mouthpiece advice and consultation. He has done wonders for many trombonists - including me.

But I must ask you (and many others): Why, oh why, are you trying only Bach mouthpieces? Especially these days, when so many options (including Doug Elliott's pieces) are available? Is this the only brand of mouthpiece your local store carries? There have been hundreds of posts on TromboneChat and The Trombone Forum about the limitations, deficiencies, and inconsistencies of Bach mouthpieces. It's time for you, and others, to think outside the Bachs! Many of us are much happier having left the "popular" Bach sizes (the ones you have tried) behind us.

But, as noted, you can cut the search short by consulting with Doug Elliott.